Posted by Andrew on May 04, 19104 at 00:17:53:
In Reply to: Re: the stranger posted by Jenny on April 02, 19103 at 23:38:39:
: : Do any of you have any thoughts on the symbolism of the sun in The Stranger? Does the sun symbolize God,pion,or anything at all?
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: In my cl we discussed the light imagery as symbolizing god. When it was really light in the novel Mersault was blinded, and tended not to do what a normal person would.
Yeah... thats why he did BAD things when it was really light... [I was being sarcastic; why would 'god' make him kill that guy? It's not like he ever 'converts' or anything in the end. If anything, he solidifies his stance, and even makes the priest doubt his.]
I think you are missing the point. Camus didn't believe in religious bullshit. There is no religious symbolism. It was hot, the sun was in his eyes, the water reflected the sun, he was being confronted; he was presented with an uncomfortable situation, and he reacted with animal-like instinct. Marsault always reacted that way. I agree completly with "a space heater"'s comments that Marsault's views reflect those of Camus.
Jenny - your teacher is probably one of those religious nutcases who projects his ideology on everything. Camus' whole deal was to confront yourslef with the "nausea of existance;" the fact that you WILL die, that there is no escape from it, and nothing really matters in the large scale of the universe. Only then can you learn that things can have maning, but only if you place meaning on them. You still acknowledge the nausea of existance, but you have moved on, progressed, into a more 'enlightened' state.